Chapter 14: Selling Water in Dongmen Village
At the critical moment, Su Tai gave him an idea, "Uncle, if you are really anxious, you can give two taels of silver to the head of Panlong Village, and give them some gifts to explain to them and rescue my father and Brother Shen. However, the silver must be paid by Ximen Village. After all, they are the ones who are anxious, right?"
Su Changfu was stunned.
Su Changxi on the side laughed, "Not bad! This is a good idea. As long as Ximen Village is willing to pay, there is no problem that cannot be solved."
Su Changfu came back to his senses and glared at Su Changxi. "That's easy to say, digging a well doesn't cost money? How can we ask them to pay an extra two taels of silver?"
Su Changxi shrugged, "That's nothing we can do. Anyway, you are not allowed to take our village's well."
"Yes, yes, this is our village's well, no one is allowed to touch it!"
Other villagers expressed their opinions one after another.
Su Changfu had no choice but to go to Ximen Village in person and tell the villagers about the situation.
The people in Ximen Village really started to make a fuss.
Ding's reaction was the most intense. "Why should we pay two more taels of silver? They took the money themselves, so they should pay it back themselves!"
Because Xiong Dao was seriously injured and needed long-term rest and treatment, Ding's family was so poor that they could barely make ends meet. Asking her to pay money would be like asking for her life.
Su Changfu raised his eyelids expressionlessly, glanced at Ding, and sneered, "Why would they pay back the money? Are you in a hurry or are they in a hurry?"
"Anyway, we can't just give this money to them!" Ding was so angry that she made her attitude clear on the spot.
Many women agreed with her.
Su Changfu sighed, looked at Gao Zhi who remained silent, and shook his head. "If you hadn't caused so much trouble at the beginning, and had worked together with other villages, you wouldn't have so much trouble now. I know you have consulted a master, and found that there is no water. The only person you can count on is in this situation. Either you spend an extra two taels of silver to find the person, or you spend money to buy water from Dongmen Village. One penny for two buckets, and you can't buy more."
This was the second solution Su Changfu thought of on the way here, and it is also the most feasible one at present.
Gao Zhi grumbled reluctantly: "Everyone is so poor that they can barely make ends meet, where does the money come from?"
Su Changfu laughed angrily and refused to indulge them. "Anyway, I have already told you the method. You can discuss what to do among yourselves! Don't talk to me about money. No one's well is built by the wind. People dug it with great effort. You didn't put in any effort at all, and you want to reap the fruits of your labor? You are dreaming!"
Gao Zhi was so angry at his old age that he almost fainted because he was pointed at and scolded.
After Su Changfu left, all the people in Ximen Village gathered at Gao Zhi's house.
"Village chief, if we really can't do it, let's just spend money to buy water!" Xiong Kai spoke first with a serious face.
He had calculated in his mind that every household had to contribute money to dig a well. Even though there were only two people in his family, they still had to contribute twenty or thirty cents. And this was just for digging a well. If they found nothing after digging for several days, then the money spent would be much more. Buying water would be different. Two buckets for one cent would be enough for him and his mother for two or three days, and ten cents a month would be enough. If they just gritted their teeth and held on until winter, when the snow would melt and they wouldn't have to worry about running out of water.
Many villagers agreed.
Gao Zhi was not willing to spend the money, but his previous decisions had not resulted in good results. If he did not agree this time, and if trouble arose again, he, the village chief, might really be replaced. He had no choice but to agree reluctantly.
When the villagers of Dongmen Village learned that the villagers of Ximen Village were willing to spend money to buy water, they didn't say anything. Su Changfu also assured everyone that the money would be distributed to everyone during the New Year, and the villagers became even more happy to see it happen.
A small number insisted on using well water to irrigate the fields.
Su Tai went to join in the fun, only to find that almost all the crops in the fields had died of drought, and the few remaining crops were probably not going to produce any grain.
At that moment, more than half of the villagers burst into tears.
Han, who was standing by, looked sad and murmured to herself, "How can I live? How can I survive the winter?"
"Mom, do we have no food at home?" Su Tai asked cautiously.
Han paused, then pulled her home and said, "We still have some food at home, but it won't last through the cold winter. You were sick before, so you probably can't remember it. It starts snowing heavily in late October here, and we can't plant crops until the snow melts in March next year. Food is expensive in disaster years, and a pound of coarse flour costs dozens of coins in winter. Who can afford it?"
Su Tai was shocked. "The town magistrate doesn't care? Even if the town magistrate doesn't care, isn't there still the county magistrate?"
Seeing her naive look, Han smiled bitterly and said, "What can we do? We are in the poorest Lizhou, and also the most remote Zhaohua County in Lizhou. Even if the county magistrate has food, he can't provide relief. Our family is better off. If we really can't make ends meet, we can go to the county to ask your uncle for help. But it's difficult for other villagers."
As she spoke, Han also showed Su Tai the family's stored grain. There was still half a jar of grain left, which would definitely not last until the beginning of next spring.
This little bit of food is now the most valuable thing in their family. Han doesn't allow Su Tai to touch it. After looking at it, she drives her out of the house and locks the door.
Su Tai was speechless.
After Han went to work, she found an opportunity to enter the Space-Time Gate Transit Station. Because she had purchased the right to use the spring four times, her virtual currency balance was less than three hundred. She had not thought of a new way to make money yet, but the food crisis was urgent. After thinking about it, she gritted her teeth and spent fifty coins to unlock the Earth Space-Time and try her luck.
When she entered the earth time and space, the scene in front of her turned into a field. It didn't look big and the details were unclear. The soil had moderate moisture and was dark. It was obviously a fertile field. She excitedly returned to the transfer station and checked the information on the screen.
As the name suggests, Tu Shikong is all soil. At the beginning, only one acre of land is unlocked. It becomes larger after upgrading. She can plant any plants in the field. Half of the harvest will be recycled by Tu Shikong as compensation for using the land. The remaining half will be disposed of by Su Tai herself. It can be sold to the automatic trading cabinet or taken out.
This rule is reasonable.
The most urgent task now is to obtain food. Their place is deep inland, close to the Ao Shuang Kingdom full of icebergs. The terrain is high, and all three villages in Qingsha Township grow wheat.
She could only grow wheat, but Han attached great importance to grain and did not give her any chance to touch it. Her own family was already in such a difficult situation, let alone other families.
Just when Su Tai was getting anxious, Su Chunlin and Shen Yi came back, each bringing a bag of food.
When Su Tai saw the food in the bag, her eyes lit up.
"Dad, Brother Shen, have you dug a well for Panlong Township?"
"Of course!" Su Chunlin was very proud. He glanced at Shen Yi and said with a wry smile, "It's all thanks to Shen Yi. I'm just helping out, hehe."
Han rolled her eyes at him, "How old are you and yet you are so careless! It's fine if you caused trouble yourself, but you almost implicated Shen Yi!"
(End of this chapter)
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